I'm new to the forum and just beginning the journey from being a meat-eater to eating a plant-based diet.

I have been a coffee drinker all of my life and have always used half & half to hide the bitter taste of coffee. I understand the detrimental effects of consuming dairy products (e.g., my coffee creamer) and decided that instead of trying to adjust to drinking black coffee, I would give up coffee altogether. Well, that didn't go so well, the withdrawal effects are nasty and debilitating. So I have a few questions:

1. Is it common for people who embrace a plant-based diet to also quit drinking caffeine?

2. If you did quit, what recommendations would you give to minimalize the withdrawal effects?

3. Do you drink coffee, but use a non-dairy option such as Coffee Mate (excluding soy)?

I’m not looking for excuses to continue drinking coffee, but rather wanting to hear other people’s stories around this topic as I learn the dos and don’ts of eating plant-based.

When I was fully vegan I would just have black coffee or use soya milk, rice milk works well too. I would drink a lot of it and even now I have at least one a day but get most of my caffeine hits from green tea, I don't think I could function without coffee, so if you like it drink it

klaatu21 wrote:sensai ross, forgive me for doubting you and myself

Mini Forklift Ⓥ wrote:There's only one thing I'm riding at 6am, and it's not a bike!

havent drunk coffee in a long time... i dont really like the taste for one.. and in the past when i have drunk it, i would get a bit hyper for a while, then feel like shit for a couple hours after that wore off

i drink tea and water nowdays, don't get the caffeine shit from it, mostly low caffeine teas, or herbal stuff... developing a dependancy on a stimulant like caffeine seems just just a really poor idea to me, should be getting energy from food, not drugs.. also why i dont think i'll ever try a pre-workout

if it were me, i would prefer to just go cold turkey, and feel miserable for a couple days or a week or something like that, then afterwards, feel alert all the time.

Vegan Bud wrote:Caffeine actually is a natural pesticide so may want to cut down.

are you implying because it is a natural insecticide, people should cut down..?i mean, many spices have insecticide properties, like cinnamon, but it's still overall quite good for you, weird point to focus on.. "if it's an insecticide, it's bad for you?"?

Vegan Bud wrote:Caffeine actually is a natural pesticide so may want to cut down.

are you implying because it is a natural insecticide, people should cut down..?i mean, many spices have insecticide properties, like cinnamon, but it's still overall quite good for you, weird point to focus on.. "if it's an insecticide, it's bad for you?"?

+1

Water is used as a coolant in nuclear reactors so don't drink it!!

klaatu21 wrote:sensai ross, forgive me for doubting you and myself

Mini Forklift Ⓥ wrote:There's only one thing I'm riding at 6am, and it's not a bike!

When I went vegan I just didn't crave coffee anymore. I went from 3-4 cups to 0 with no issues. But that was with a whole foods approach. No processed foods dragging me down plus massive green smoothies every morning injected me with energy to spare. I have a splash of coffee now once in a while but it just doesn't do anything for me anymore.

Make no excuses to skip a training session. Feel stressed, sad, sick or tired? Go train. Your friends, your heart, mind and body will lie to you. Telling you that you need that recovery day. Go ahead, stay home. I'll be training that day and getting better no matter what.

I like my coffee black, no sugar. Same for iced coffee. Just my taste preference.

I've quit coffee a few times over the years. Day 3 was always the most difficult. That's when withdrawal kicked in. I would last two weeks a the most then start back. The odd thing is that my palate and body would be clean so 1) I would feel the buzz more from less coffee due to a lower tolerance, and 2) I could only drink good tasting coffee because my taste buds had adjusted.

I prefer guarana instead of coffee. guarana is a good coffee alternative that contains caffeine which is a well known stimulant for the CNS (central nervous system), muscles and heart. It is widely used as a stimulant to give you an energy boost. If interested read more on guarana at http://www.supplemented.co.uk/products/guarana-2000mg-capsules

I typically enjoy one cup a day with some almond milk . . . on days I take an herbal energizer (pre-workout) I allow myself a cup of decaffeinated. Just a routine that works for me; unlike some people, I actually enjoy coffee but have cut WAY back from my younger days when I was doing 3-4 cups or more a day. Everyone has a different tolerance to it so you have to find your middle ground. If you have no health problems, eg, high blood pressure, anxiety, etc., that could exacerbated by caffeine, enjoy a cup here and there but as with everything in life, in moderation. If you can find organic brands without preservatives, etc.. always a good thing.

Ancient Wellness Tech: achieving wellness through Ayurveda in a modern world.

I love coffee, but I now limit it to the morning/pre-cardio, because it was affecting my sleep and promoting anxiety.

If you're dealing with bitter coffee, maybe you need to change up the brewing method. I used to need non-dairy creamer, but the more I learned about coffee, the less I needed it. Have you tried a french press?

The other option would be to use Almond, Coconut, etc. Milk and a Torani flavored syrup. Maybe you could mix some coffee with vega mocha protein powder?